Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

Which celebs have you encountered on safari?

Saw this header on the USA forum and thought it might be fun for the Africa folks...

Met Maria Bello ("Coyote Ugly", et al) at Mombo a few years back. Got scolded by Nicky for not knowing who she was at the time (although I was busy chatting with her).

This past December, sat with Peter Gabriel and his band on the VA flight from JNB to LHR (the evening after they played at the 46664 World AIDS Day Concert at Ellis Park in JNB). He I did recognize straight away and I had a brief chat with him. I had watched his performance live on TV earlier that afternoon.

Once almost had my camera snatched away after inadvertently taking a photo with a Saudi Prince in the shot (I had no idea) during a site visit at Royal Malewane - that was a weird one.

I guess I'm not really very star-struck; my true heroes are not famous.

I wouldn't know Maria Bello either. So perhaps I've been surrounded by celebrities and just never knew it.

#1
On my way to volunteer at Ngamba, a Jane Goodall Chimp Sanctuary, I coincidentally ran into Jane Goodall at Heathrow. She was pulling a wheeled carry-on and was walking by herself. I called her name as we passed and she stopped. I thanked her for stopping, mentioned it was an honor to meet her, and told her I was headed to Ngamba. She responded, "Give everyone my love." I knew everyone included the chimps. There was a presence about her, even under those ordinary circumstances.

#2
It was a bear safari, but I ran into Jeff Corwin and his family and crew while they were shooting in Brooks Falls, Alaska. There are always tons of of bears there and I've never seen it empty except for about 45 minutes after a bear brawl until things settle down.

For the several hours his crew was there, the weather had turned bad with whipping winds and only two small bears were briefly visible. Later that day, the bears were out in force. Such bad luck, but I think they returned at a later date.

#3
This is second-hand, but pretty funny, I thought. Two young ladies I met had just arrived at their first safari destination--Vumbura. They were learning how to use their binoculars. One of them had the binocs to her eyes and was scanning the horizon and naming what she saw, "Zebra, elephant, giraffe," when she paused and called out, "Susan Sarandon." Her spotting skills were good and she correctly identified the subject.

A twist to this question--Maybe some of you reading this ARE celebrities, not that you'd divulge it.

Sat next to Cynthia Moss on small 4/seater returning from Amboseli. It was our 1st safari and only the 3rd day into our trip. We chatted briefly, but the flight was so short, we were landing soon after. My BF (sitting next to pilot) wondered with whom I was conversing and hadn't the slightest idea who she was. Had to educate him.

In 2005 we met Prince Harry as we were leaving Horseback Safari camp in Botswana. He was just arriving, so we only got to speak with him for a few minutes. He offered his hand and said "Hi, I'm Harry"...very normal. We heard later that he was tossed off his horse during a gallop through the Delta. Fortunately, it's a 'soft landing' as it's happened to me, as well! On the same trip we met Donald Sutherland at baggage claim and exhanged a few words. Well, we go for the animals, so these brief encounters aren't nearly as thrilling as tracking leopard at night ; )

Not on safari, but I sat next to the All Blacks while flying from HK to Mumbai (then Bombay). At first, I had no idea who they were, but since I was sitting amongst them, I was also asked to sign autographs, which I obligingly did. Some kids now have my signature on a rugby ball.

For those who know S.African celebritites, my son and I shared a vehicle at Duba Plains with Kate Turkington in 2001. Kate is a well known radio personality with the longest running radio program in SA as well as a writer of travel articles about Africa. It still remains as about the best couple of days I ever had as she was just a wonderful, fascinating and warm person. We have even kept us with her now and then by email and phone. It was she who turned us into birders as she could identify nearly every bird at Duba as quickly as the guide.
A funny celebrity meeting was going from Duba to Mombo the next year. We had heard that Daryl Balfour (the photographer) was going to be coming on the plane we were taking. My wife hadn't a clue who he was but when I told her the wheels set in motion. When he got off the plane she asked if he would mind taking a picture of our family with her camera...going so far as to explain to him how the camera worked in case he was unfamiliar with it. So we now have a Daryl Balfour family portrait!
We also flew with the All Blacks as they were going to a match...but as Americans without too much rugby knowledge it had little meaning for us but the rest of the plane applauded and sang to them.
I am actually thankful that there have been a paucity of celebs on my safaris as I really think it may possibly detract a bit from the experience.
Oh yes, the celebrities I did not get to meet that I would have loved to are Honey, Bella, Chui and some of their friends
Regards,
Eric

We were in Botswana about 10 years ago and returning to our hotel one day we noticed quite a bit of commotion and saw the then Miss Universe (Miss Botswana) a few feet away. Later on a camp drive we spotted her again and my other half blew a wolf whistle. She turned and smiled. Off to Namibia in a few weeks but hoping to see 2 of the big 5 five we missed out on the last trip.

PP - this forum is not for political discussion nor viewpoints. Is it? There are many other places to do this.

It is easy to degrade any political party, religion, ethnic group, nationality, gender, even professions with photographs or cartoons. But in my opinion this is not the place to do it. However, seems you and a few others think it is ok here.

So, if you would like to continue it, would each of you please post here your email address. And, your nationality, gender, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, and mothers name, and I will email back to you degrading cartoons/photographs chosen especially for you.

Politicians set hunting quotas, politicians choose the type of preferred tourism (mass-lowcost like Kenia, or lowvolume-highcost like Botswana), politicians decide where park boundaries end, politicians decide who gets in and for how much, ... and so on.

And SOME politicians (let's call 'em the biggest apes, shall we?) even want to relax the protection status of the elephant.

I agree with you that politics should not be on this forum ...with the exception of politicians that endanger the very thing we come here to discuss about.

My full name is Jochen Van de Perre, I'm Belgian, email: pixelpower@telenet.be, not religious, no political affiliation, and my mother's name is Linda.
(just curious what pic you come up with, give it your best shot, I can take it, I got thick skin)

Just to clarify the record, its the first President Bush referred to in the New York Times article (not the current President). I believe there was also an episode in the mid-1990s when several well known US politicians lobbied to expand the lion hunting quotas in Botswana (I don't recall who they were or what party they were from, but there were some threads about it at the time).

Whilst I'd agree that politics (and jokes involving politics/ political figures) are probably not the wisest content for a forum with such a wide-ranging readership there's also a lot to be said for not over-reacting!

Guys, let's leave the politics behind. All you are going to do is either receive pats on the back or virtual daggers in your eyes over this type of conversation, and in the end you haven't changed anything. Please move the conversation to another location, far far away.

I've been lucky, haven't seen or been unfortunate enough to have to be around one.
Then again, I don't look around at who else is around and do not care. I probably wouldn't recognize any anyway other than if there was a big commotion and that would really turn my "safari" into a bad experience.

WayuU
I'm in the same boat in that I wouldn't recognise many celebrities. I was visiting friends at the weekend who were reading two of those celebrity gossip magazines. I didn't recognise the names or photos of more than half the people featured! Not a clue!

There have been numerous threads where people debate and degrade african leaders for their behaviour and policies. Well, sometimes the chickens come home to roost......illegal wars, torturing through the use of waterboarding in Guantanamo........

Whilst I do not condone the Mugabe regime, some of his actions in human rights dont differ to much from those of the US.

Speaking of Bono, on my only trip on the Concorde, I sat next to U2's manager -- I don't recall his name, but he's well known and was very friendly. I didn't know it was him until a few weeks later when I saw him on TV, and it clicked b/c he had been reading stuff, that we discussed, about a hotel project in Dublin (that turned into the Clarence).

Speaking of the famous Kate Turkington, she was one of the writers on Fodor's South Africa 4th (Dec 2007) and Fodor's Complete African Safari Planner (Aug 2008). She is a lovely and warm person who is extremely knowledgable about safaris. She'd be tickled pink to know that she's considered a celeb!

The OP was from 20freakin08. Obviously you registered today so you could link your celebrity cafe website to this topic and another one in the lounge that was older but not this old. Did you think we wouldn't notice your desperate attempt to drive business to your website?